It was never a question to me that I would raise my kids bilingual, and it's encouraging to see so many articles come out recently that highlight some of the not-so-obvious benefits of bilingualism. It is easy to imagine that knowing another language increases opportunity for conversation, cultural awareness, and experience. It has also long been known that children who grow up with two languages can learn a third language much easier than their monolingual peers and fears that children might confuse the different languages or have significant delays in their language development have been debunked as myths.
Though this is not proven without debate, there have been a number of articles recently that highlight bilinguals' improved executive function,
"a command system that directs the attention processes that we use for planning, solving problems and performing various other mentally demanding tasks. These processes include ignoring distractions to stay focused, switching attention willfully from one thing to another and holding information in mind (...)."
It seems that the reason might be that bilinguals are more efficient at monitoring their surroundings and keeping track of changes because they’re used to constantly evaluating which language is appropriate:
"The bilingual mind is in constant conflict,(...) For every utterance, a choice is made to focus on the target language, so there is a constant need to select. (T)his constant experience leaves its mark on the brain, strengthening the regions involved in executive function."
I find it amazing that since he's been able to talk, Noah has always clearly been able to make those constant decisions. Though he speaks mostly English and only some German to me and my family, he would never get the idea to say something in German to Tony or other people he knows don't speak German (except for a few days ago when he clearly did it only to see what Tony's reaction would be, fully aware that he doesn't really speak the language). I remember when my sister and her husband and son came to stay with us for a few weeks last year when Noah was around 20 months old, Noah defaulted to speaking English to them at first (why wouldn't he?) and seemed confused in the beginning that they spoke German too, but after a few days, his mind switched and while he still mostly used English, his "comfort language", he started to include a few German words here and there.
This ability to constantly evaluate which language is most appropriate also seems to have an effect on children's communication skills. This article worth reading highlights that bilingualism improves not only cognitive skills but also their social abilities. Put in situations in which they had to consider someone else’s perspective to understand the meaning, bilingual children were better at the task.
“Interpreting someone’s utterance often requires attending not just to its content, but also to the surrounding context. What does a speaker know or not know? What did she intend to convey? Children in multilingual environments have social experiences that provide routine practice in considering the perspective of others: They have to think about who speaks which language to whom, who understands which content, and the times and places in which different languages are spoken.”
Who knows if for Noah this is just his personality or if him growing up in a bilingual home has had an impact here, but this does sound like him. He's often concerned with other kid's feelings, is aware of what other children like or don't like, and steps in to help out his friends when they have problems remembering their colors.
Being bilingual of course also isn't always easy. In this article, the author discusses how her second language has made her less fluent in her native language.
"My brain needs to actively choose Spanish every time I say a word or construct a sentence. Even after years and years of speaking Spanish every day, I can often feel that work happening. It’s tiring, and switching to English can be a relief."
I can relate to this 100% and it's so fascinating to observe my own mind struggle with this sometimes. Depending on the circumstances I have no issues speaking either one of the languages. When I'm on the phone with my parents, I usually speak normal German (at least that's how it sounds to me), but there are days, that it just doesn't flow as easily and I find myself translating from English to German before I say it out loud, which can make it all sound so...holprig. This is especially apparent for me at work. When I'm at work, I think in English, and I find myself having an extremely difficult time sometimes writing formal, but not too formal emails in German. Just recently, I conducted an interview in German after having prepared my questions in English and being so comfortable with the subject matter in English didn't help. It went well, but it was so exhausting, because just like the author in the above mentioned article said, I could "feel that work happening" and I was constantly second guessing myself when my sentences didn't sound as lovely as they maybe would have five years ago. The fact that I was typing notes in English probably didn't help either.
At the same time, speaking two languages fluently has so many advantages for me, besides the obvious ones of scoring a job that I enjoy (most of the time) and being able to communicate with so many more people. I am aware of cultural differences, how language isn't just about how we say things but what we say, or how we present ourselves, depending on the cultural background. It has allowed me to fully submerge myself in two cultures, and I have a sense of belonging in whichever country I am. That's what I'm hoping my kids will experience as they grow older. I would love for them to eventually feel comfortable and "at home" in Germany, simply because they speak the same language.
See also:
Babies can differentiate between two languages they were exposed to in utero just hours after they were born.
Researchers conclude that the need to distinguish between two languages presents a cognitive challenge to bilingual babies that requires them to engage these brain areas, thereby strengthening their executive function capacities.
“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.”
The management of two spoken languages in the same modality, rather than simply a larger vocabulary, leads to the differences we observed. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150716135054.htm
A study of French and German newborns found differences in the cries' melody patterns. French cries tended to have a rising melody, while the German cries tended to have a falling melody.
Next: What does raising children in a bilingual household look like for us?
This is a topic that is constantly on my mind, and I'm really looking forward to your next post! I also "feel that work happening" between the two languages. Funnily, I struggle to conjure up the appropriate Korean words sometimes, for example during casual conversations with in-laws, but would often need to jot down Korean words for quick note taking during law school classes (in the US). Odd but fascinating!
ReplyDeleteglad you liked it Sunny :) next post coming soon!
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